ABSTRACT
Acute dissection is the most frequent catastrophe affecting the aorta. The mean age of patients at the time of diagnosis of acute aortic dissection is 60 years, a decade younger than that observed in other thoracic aortic diseases such as aneurysm, penetrating aortic ulcer or aortic intramural haematoma. Although hypertension is clearly recognised as a sine qua non for its occurrence, a number of other clinical factors are associated with its aetiology.
